Change Management

Coaching Through Change

Change Management can be a vague concept, but it’s actually quite precise. Change Management guides how we prepare, equip, and support individuals to successfully adopt change, in order to drive organizational goals. It isn’t only for projects rather the approaches we take are applicable across all of your interactions with your team. Whether you are a growing startup looking to implement policy, culture, and workflow as you grow, or a multinational organization reorganizing your reporting hierarchy, our “head and heart” approach ensures we ask the right questions while also managing relationships between key stakeholder groups.

Focused on the Individual

Organizational change, or consciously deciding to do something differently, happens one person at a time. This is why we start by focusing on individuals and small groups, where people are more comfortable to share their real concerns, hopes, and expectations. With that insight we influence project teams and leaders to have their own meaningful engagements with internal stakeholders impacted by large or small changes. Of course, there’s always a place for formal communications and training programs, but to drive real transformation people need to feel like they have a stake in the project, and that their voices are being heard.

What are Some of the Challenges?

A key challenge with many of our clients is their preference for strictly hierarchical reporting relationships. A risk of this is that it can lead to disconnected or disengaged executive support for projects and reactivity from subordinates. Without a leader who is both active and visible as the key champion of the initiative, projects often struggle to achieve some or any of their business goals. In some cases, it can lead to the cancellation of an initiative wasting both money and resources. We actively coach executive leadership, providing candid feedback, and analysis of the specific causes and effects to build bridges between critical business areas required to move projects forward.

Is it Worth it?

Statistics show that organizations who apply a systematic approach to change management see benefits in the following areas:

higher rates of adoption and ultimate utilization

greater levels of engagement

increased proficiency in using new systems and processes

improved employee morale

more effective leadership

lower turnover

Coordinating commitment across an entire organization can be difficult, but by implementing a systemic approach and properly managing stakeholders, you stand to reap the real benefits of the change.

Change Management Methodology

Define who is impacted by the change and how much of an impact there will be on their systems, tools or culture. Determine how much influence a group has over the potential success or failure of the project? Who is the key contact or influencer for these groups?

Plan for how your change will be communicated, how training will be developed and delivered, when, where and how you will engage your stakeholders. Proactively plan for resistance. Know what you are going to say or do when people say; Why do I have to change? I don’t have time for this, I don’t trust it will ever happen or just plain “No”.

We coach leaders on the role they play in successfully leading change, encouraging them to build a coalition of like-minded peers who can serve as co-cheerleaders, trouble-shooters or resistance fighters. Make sure the vision, benefits and message are clear and compelling.

People want a say in what their future looks like. Actively partnering with them to create the communications, training or engagement materials or act as local agents of change is an effective way to build support and ultimately achieve your business benefits.

Your leaders are on board, your stakeholder groups are clear, you’ve got your plans and place worked together on the deliverables. Start delivering…and be flexible…things will change. Anticipate what you can and be ready to react when necessary. Stay positive, focused, compassionate and patient.

You and everybody else have been busting their butts to get this change through. How are you going to honor and show appreciation for all that everybody has done? You don’t have to save this until the end, it is part of the relationship building process all along, but you definitely don’t want to leave this one out. Your team just made you look like a rock star, let them know!

Change Management Blog Posts

In all his work, Jeff had the ability to bring people together, to create comfort in the face of constant transformation, and to lead change management initiatives with skill and assurance. Jeff became a trusted confidant for me within the organization, and continuously worked to create clarity and align people’s visions and goals. 